Bearing in mind that one of the purposes of the United
Nations, as set forth in the Charter, is the achievement of international
cooperation in solving international problems of an economic,
social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and
encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms
for all without discrimination as to race, sex, language or religion,

Recalling its resolution 45/164 of 18 December 1990,
in which it proclaimed 1993 as the International Year of the World's
Indigenous People, with a view to strengthening international
cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous communities
in areas such as human rights, the environment, development, education
and health,

Recognizing the value and the diversity of the cultures
and the forms of social organization of the world's indigenous
people,

Welcoming the report of the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development, as well as resolution 1992/45
of 3 March 1992 regarding the International Year of the World's
Indigenous People, adopted by the Commission on Human Rights at
its forty-eighth session,

Noting the need to conclude the technical meeting provided
for in paragraph 8 of General Assembly resolution 46/128 of 17
December 1991 in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs
1 and 2 (b) of the same resolution,

1. Reaffirms that it proclaimed 1993 as the International
Year of the World's Indigenous People, with the theme of "Indigenous
people - a new partnership";

2. Calls upon the United Nations system and Governments
that have not yet done so to develop policies in support of the
objectives and the theme of the Year and to strengthen the institutional
framework for their implementation;

3. Urges the Coordinator for the International Year
of the World's Indigenous People to continue to solicit actively
the cooperation of specialized agencies, regional commissions,
financial and development institutions and other relevant organizations
of the United Nations system for the promotion of the programme
of activities contained in the annex to General Assembly resolution
46/128;

4. Requests the Coordinator to reconvene from within
existing resources, in the three working days preceding the eleventh
session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, the technical
meeting provided for in paragraph 8 of resolution 46/128, with
a view to concluding its deliberations and finalizing its report;

5. Stresses that governmental and intergovernmental
activities undertaken within the context of the Year and beyond
should take fully into account the development needs of indigenous
people and the need for making full use of the contributions that
indigenous communities can bring to sustainable national development;

6. Notes that there is a continuing need to improve
the availablity and the means of dissemination of socio-economic
data relating to the development needs of indigenous people and
that the Year should contribute to enhancing and to facilitating
the coordination capabilities of Member States for collecting
and analysing information in that area;

7. Appeals to Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations, as well as indigenous people's organizations, to
contribute to the voluntary fund for the Year opened by the Secretary-General;

8. Recommends to the Secretary-General that he should
give all assistance necessary to the Coordinator to permit him
to carry out his tasks;

9. Recommends that the Preparatory Committee for the
World Conference on Human Rights should continue to consider at
its upcoming meeting how issues pertinent to the Year could be
addressed within the framework of the Conference;

10. Stresses the relevance for the solution of problems
faced by indigenous communities of the recommendations made in
chapter 26 of Agenda 21, contained in the report of the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development;

11. Requests the Commission on Human Rights to ask the
Working Group on Indigenous Populations, at its eleventh session,
and the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection
of Minorities, at its forty-fifth session, to complete their consideration
of the draft universal declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples and to submit their report to the Commission at its fiftieth
session;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report
to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session on the activities
developed and the results achieved within the context of the Year.